Gluten-Free Bread

Bread is all about gluten. It’s the gluten in wheat, spelt and rye flours that give the dough its stretchy, elastic consistency and bread it’s distinct chewiness. There is nothing better than biting into the crisp crust and fluffy inside of a homemade loaf, fresh out of the oven.

A really good loaf, one that’s crunchy on the outside and perfectly light and soft in the middle is very difficult to find in a gluten free world. I have often found myself lingering by a freshly baked loaf, trying to get a whiff of the familiar and unmistakable bread smell.

I dread ever going to France again- I think the sheer temptation of baguettes that I can’t eat would get too much.

This loaf is no baguette. But it is bread (in some sense of the word!) I was absolutely thrilled when I pulled this out of the oven. After having some frankly disastrous attempts at constructing a loaf that is both gluten free and won’t break a tooth, this one seemed like a miracle.

The texture is slightly different, I have to admit- it’s not soft and fluffy like the best baguette, but it’s close enough that you could be fooled, especially when it’s smeared with a good dollop of houmous. It’s also dairy and sugar free, and won’t make you feel bloated and too full, like so many of the best breads out there!

Begin by heating the almond milk in a small saucepan, then leave to cool slightly. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the vinegar, and then gradually stir in the milk until it is well mixed.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until they form a smooth dough. Add the olive oil and bring it together into a ball. Add more flour if it is too sticky.

Oil a baking tray, place your ball of dough in the middle and cover. Leave to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 2oo degrees Celsius. Once the dough has risen, use a sharp knife to score a cross into the top. Brush the top with olive oil, and sprinkle a handful of pumpkin seeds over the loaf, then bake for around 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden.